Account of 

 Lord Prefident 

 Dundas. 



40 his tort of the so ci Err. 



an eafy compliance. Others, however, from the fame honour- 

 able motive, refufed to renounce thofe obligations, of which, 

 though they regretted the abufe, they approved of the princi- 

 ple. Among that number was Sir James Dundas, who re- 

 fufed to fign the Ted-declaration, unlefs with a fubjoined claufe, 

 importing his abjuration of the Covenant, " in fo far as it had 

 " led to deeds of actual rebellion." This qualified compliance 

 was rejected by the Sovereign, and the recufant Judges were 

 deprived of their offices. Their feats, however, were kept vacant 

 for fome time, in expectation, either that their fcruples might 

 be relaxed by the fenfe of their fubftantial lofles, or that fome 

 medium of accommodation might be devifed for adjufting the 

 fubject of difference. One expedient was propofed, which, it 

 is probable, originated from the Sovereign himfelf, as it favours 

 remarkably of his code of eafy morality. This was, that fuch 

 of the Judges as fcrupled to give an unlimited declaration, 

 mould, for the fake of example, fubfcribe /imply % as the law re- 

 quired, but mould be allowed, in a private converfation with 

 the King, to explain the fenfe in which they understood thofe 

 oaths. 



On thefe fingular terms, fome of the deprived Judges were 

 willing to redeem their offices. They repaired to London, had 

 a private audience of his Majefty, and returned with new com- 

 miflions in their pockets **. But that conciliatory meafure was 

 propofed in vain to Lord Arniston. He adhered refolutely 

 and inflexibly to thofe principles which he efteemed right. To 

 the folicitation of a friend, who earneftly intreated him, for his 

 own fake, for that of his family and of the public, to be fatis- 



fied 



* They would juftify their conduct by the prudent reafoning which Cicero ufed to 

 Lentulus. " Nam neque pugnandum contra tantas opes, neque delendum, etiam fi id 

 " fieri poffet, fummorum civium principatum, neque permanendum in una fententia, 

 " converfis rebus, ac bonorum voluntatibus immutatis ; fed temporibus aflentiendum.'* 

 Cic. Epijl. ad fam. I. 1. e[>. 9. 



